Everyman Legal provides a full range of corporate legal services, including company acquisitions and sales, business start-ups, share schemes and private equity investments.  We deliver a responsive, focused service which will enable you to identify key issues and effectively manage your risk.  

Examples of particular corporate expertise are set out below.  You will find template documents for sale as well as free fact sheets and videos to the right side of this page.

Shareholders’ Agreements

Shareholders’ Agreements or Investment Agreements are often required by companies where a third party wishes to invest in a company or where a business has been set up and it is necessary to set out in writing the relationships between the founding parties.  These are highly bespoke documents and can range from the very simple to the very complex.  A standard agreement might include clauses dealing with sale of shares in the future and ‘veto’ items which prevent certain actions taking place without an agreed level of consent.  A simple template shareholders’ agreement can be found for sale here.  For owner managed businesses it is often possible for the necessary provisions to be inserted into the Articles of Association of the company in question, saving legal costs.

Business Sales and Purchases

Getting the structure of company and business sales right can be key in order to maximize benefit to both parties.  It is also important to understand the pitfalls that can result from an unwary purchase or sale, some of which may not be evident until years after the transaction has completed.  Having a professional adviser involved from an early stage can save costs and ensure the best deal available.  Everyman Legal has provided legal advice in relation to company sales and purchases with company values ranging from £20,000 to in excess of £5,000,000.  

Share Schemes

Entrepreneurial companies are often not able to offer employees the financial rewards available at more established companies. An excellent way of retaining key employees whilst offering them a chance to participate in the growth of their employer is through a share scheme.  Everyman Legal has expertise in Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI Schemes), Share Incentive Plans (SIPs), Company Share Option Plans (CSOPs) as well as non statutory or unapproved share schemes.  See our fact sheet on Joint Share Ownership Plans (JSOPs) for examples of how it is possible to structure an unapproved scheme.

Articles of Association

Articles of Association are the rules by which a company is run.  These can determine, for example, how board meetings are held, what powers shareholders have and how directors can be dismissed. Often it is only when a serious dispute arises that these are examined in detail and the results can be surprising!  For a free 15 minute discussion and review of your company’s Articles of Association, please contact us on 0845 868 0960.

Business and Company Start up
Everyman Legal offers an efficient company formation service with bespoke Articles of Association and Shareholders Agreement with fees starting from £250 plus VAT.  Everyman Legal’s Company Secretarial service may also be of interest to those starting out in business.  

Company Secretarial – Online
Everyman Legal provides a Company Secretary service to many of its customers with a trained lawyer available to provide specialist advice to company directors.  This service is aimed at those starting out in business and for companies who do not wish to maintain an in-house company secretarial function.  We also make use of an online system which can electronically maintain your company statutory records electronically.  We can provide training to your employees to enable you to access your up to date records online and, if required, make alterations and deal with the required statutory filings cheaply and efficiently.

Venture Capital and Private Equity
Everyman Legal has experience in representing and advising venture capital and private equity investors and companies looking for investment capital.  Such arrangements commonly require a company reorganisation which will mean amended shareholders' agreements and articles of association.

Call us to discuss your next corporate project.

Please contact Everyman Solicitors James Hunt, Stephen Evans or Chris Gibson on 0845 868 0960 for further information or visit our Oxfordshire offices. 

Everyman Legal provides a full range of corporate legal services, including company acquisitions and sales, business start-ups, share schemes and private equity investments.  We deliver a responsive, focused service which will enable you to identify key issues and effectively manage your risk.  

Examples of particular corporate expertise are set out below.  You will find template documents for sale as well as free fact sheets and videos to the right side of this page.

Shareholders’ Agreements

Shareholders’ Agreements or Investment Agreements are often required by companies where a third party wishes to invest in a company or where a business has been set up and it is necessary to set out in writing the relationships between the founding parties.  These are highly bespoke documents and can range from the very simple to the very complex.  A standard agreement might include clauses dealing with sale of shares in the future and ‘veto’ items which prevent certain actions taking place without an agreed level of consent.  A simple template shareholders’ agreement can be found for sale here.  For owner managed businesses it is often possible for the necessary provisions to be inserted into the Articles of Association of the company in question, saving legal costs.

Business Sales and Purchases

Getting the structure of company and business sales right can be key in order to maximize benefit to both parties.  It is also important to understand the pitfalls that can result from an unwary purchase or sale, some of which may not be evident until years after the transaction has completed.  Having a professional adviser involved from an early stage can save costs and ensure the best deal available.  Everyman Legal has provided legal advice in relation to company sales and purchases with company values ranging from £20,000 to in excess of £5,000,000.  

Share Schemes

Entrepreneurial companies are often not able to offer employees the financial rewards available at more established companies. An excellent way of retaining key employees whilst offering them a chance to participate in the growth of their employer is through a share scheme.  Everyman Legal has expertise in Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI Schemes), Share Incentive Plans (SIPs), Company Share Option Plans (CSOPs) as well as non statutory or unapproved share schemes.  See our fact sheet on Joint Share Ownership Plans (JSOPs) for examples of how it is possible to structure an unapproved scheme.

Articles of Association

Articles of Association are the rules by which a company is run.  These can determine, for example, how board meetings are held, what powers shareholders have and how directors can be dismissed. Often it is only when a serious dispute arises that these are examined in detail and the results can be surprising!  For a free 15 minute discussion and review of your company’s Articles of Association, please contact us on 0845 868 0960.

Business and Company Start up
Everyman Legal offers an efficient company formation service with bespoke Articles of Association and Shareholders Agreement with fees starting from £250 plus VAT.  Everyman Legal’s Company Secretarial service may also be of interest to those starting out in business.  

Company Secretarial – Online
Everyman Legal provides a Company Secretary service to many of its customers with a trained lawyer available to provide specialist advice to company directors.  This service is aimed at those starting out in business and for companies who do not wish to maintain an in-house company secretarial function.  We also make use of an online system which can electronically maintain your company statutory records electronically.  We can provide training to your employees to enable you to access your up to date records online and, if required, make alterations and deal with the required statutory filings cheaply and efficiently.

Venture Capital and Private Equity
Everyman Legal has experience in representing and advising venture capital and private equity investors and companies looking for investment capital.  Such arrangements commonly require a company reorganisation which will mean amended shareholders' agreements and articles of association.

Call us to discuss your next corporate project.

Please contact Everyman Solicitors James Hunt, Stephen Evans or Chris Gibson on 0845 868 0960 for further information or visit our Oxfordshire offices.